Don't Leave Me
by FrankAndWeenie
Summary: Arya Stark, the girl who keeps on fighting, is sick. She is leaving. And, on the way out, she say s a few words to three male fgures in her life: Robb, Jon and Gendry. Oneshot, takes place after "The Coffee Shop" fic I wrote :3


She lay on the whie hospital sheets with her eyes closed, surrounded by various machines that hummed and beeped. Around the edges of the bed stood Arya's family, including Gendry. The room was filled only with the sound of the heart monitor and Arya's breathing.

Sansa's head was pressed against Eddard's shirt, quietly crying. Catelyn controlled her tears and stayed strong for Bran and Rickon, who's hands she held. Robb was sitting on a hard orange chair, his head buried deep in his hands. Jon stood alone from the group, trying to hide the fact he had been crying. He rubbed his face and sniffed every few minutes.

Gendry was sitting on a chair identical to Robb's right beside Arya's bed. He held one of her cold hands. She opened her eyes and smiled. Her hand reached out and wrapped one of Gendry's thick curls around her bony, shaking finger. He caught her hand and brought it to his lips. Her tears rolled freely but he didn't bother wiping them away.

Arya coughed, her body shaking with the force of it, and everyone looked at her expectantly.

"Could you," she started, nodding at Catelyn. "Could you get me some water? And take Bran and Rickon with you, they need a break."

Catelyn, somewhat surprised, nodded and walked out the door, still hold a now loudly crying Rickon's hand. Bran trudged out silently and avoided making eye contact with Arya. She then turned to Eddard and, before she could say a word, he stood taller and staed firmly how he would not leave, not while his youngest daughter was this ill. Sansa stopped snivelling long enough to turn around and meet Arya's gaze.

"Please, Sansa," she whipsered softly. "Take Dad to the gift shop, or the café. Take him out for fresh air at least."

Sansa took in the image of the remains of her sister. Her hair had abandoned her body,her lips were chapped and nearly non-existant. The body which was once lean and quick was sluggish and fragile. Even her eyes had changed; hey no longer were filled with wit and intelligence. They were tired and colourless, with heavy lids framing them. Sansa looked away and nodded. She looked up at Eddard, who still looked like he wouldn't budge.

"Dad." Eddard looked down at his other daughter. She was tired and thin, her hair lankand greasy. "Dad, lets go get something to eat. Remember that you have two daughters."

Sansa held onto Eddard's arm and led him out of the room slowly. When they left, the door closed with a click. Arya looked around at the remaining three boys.

"Robb," Arya said. She watched her brother stiffen and repeat what their father had said about not leaving. "I'm not asking you to leave, jack-ass. I'm asking you to come here and sit on the edge of the bed."

Robb shrugged and stood up. He walked to the side of the bed opposite of Gendry and took Arya's free hand between his two palms and tried to smile at her.

"Why did you ask everyone else to leave?" he asked her, but she rolled her eyes.

"Shut up and listen. No questions, please." She coughed again. Robb tried to fake a laugh but it was all too much. His little sister was on her way ou, and he couldn't stop it. The little sister that used to jump around the room, pretending to be a Jedi Knight when her mother tried to dress her up like a princess. The little sister tha used to try and wrestle her older brothers even though she knew she was going to lose. The little sister that never gave up fighting, was giving up the biggest fight of all.

"I hope you know that I love you and I'll miss you."

Robb tried to shush her but she went on, louder.

"And I hope you know that someday you'll get married to someone beautiful and who you love, and not that rat-faced Frey Mum and Dad wants to you date. You'll finish college first, though, and get some big-ass job in some big-ass company that you'll wear a suit for and everyone will call you 'Sir'. You're the smartest out of all of us, we all know that." Arya coughed yet again, her eyes watering from the pain it caused. Gendry wiped them away gently, while Arya continued her speech to Robb. "You better name one of your kids after me, you know. Pick the weirdest one."

She laughed and let go of Gendry's hand so she could ruffle Robb's hair, something she knew he always hated. He laughed this time though, through the tears streaming down his face.

"Now sit your lard ass down. I want to talk to Jon."

Robb rolled his eyes and wiped away a few tears before sitting back down in his seat. He wrapped his arms around himself and watched his sister.

"Hey, Snow," she said, smiling broadly. Jon reluctantly dragged his feet towards the bed and sat down. He avoided her gaze, because the memories were already painful enough without having the reminder that she was going shoved into his brain. But, sure enough, he looked up and tried to smile, but instead winced. The Christmas mornings of getting matching Lego sets, of sneaking into adult movies and laughing until their sides hurt, of teasing Sansa about her stupid dolls when they were kids buzzed around his brain viciously.

"Well you look awful," he said instead of anything sappy. Arya punched him in the arm jokingly.

"Fuck off, you don't look like Prince Charming yourself." She paused. "Now, you. You're going to take care of Ygritte for me, even though she's more-than-likely going to take care of you. I know you guys say that you're 'just friends' or something, but you're kidding no one."

Jon ran his hand through his hair.

"Oh, and Jon?"

"Yeah?"

"Please, one las thing: Get a fucking haircut! It looks like your growing a hegde up there or something."

Jon smiled and shook his head, refusing to cry. He needed to be strong for his little sister. "Never."

"Well then, get out of my sight, loser! I don't want to look at some bed-head on my last night!" Jon froze up.

"No, don't say things like that. hat means you've given up hope and-"

"Jon." She rolled her eyes. "I have given up."

Gendry stifled a sob but she ignored it. Robb was freely crying now. "I know it's hard to believe but there's nothing more we can do. It's too late. We've got to let go."

"No! We could... We could try more chemo!" Jon yelled, standing up. He couldn't lose her. "We could do more! It's not too late, it's never too late, please! Gendry, back me up."

Gendry just took hold of her hand again.

"Take care of Nymeria for me," Arya replied. Jon grabbed onto her free hand tightly. "And make sure Bran and Rickon do their homework every night, and don't let Sansa date some prick again."

Jon searched her eyes, looking to see if there was any fight left in Arya. When he could find none, he felt his heart break. He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Robb lept up and chased after his, calling out his name. Arya and Gendry were left on their own.

"Will he be okay?" Gendry asked. It was the first thing he said all evening.

"He'll be fine." Arya waved her hand at the door, as if brushing Jon off. "He's just a Drama Queen."

She rolled over and faced Gendry. He ran his thumb along the outline of her lips. He was still shedding tears and Arya wiped them away. They were quiet for a few minutes.

"What's the worst thing about it?" he asked.

"About what?"

"Dying?"

"Apart from the crappy hospital food?" she said, trying to make Gendry laugh. When she realised he was being serious, she answered the question properly. "The fac I'll never see Sansa's kids. The fact I'll never ge married. The fact I miss Bran asking Meera out. The fact I'll never grow old."

She was silent for a while.

"But you want to know the worst thing?"

"Of course." Gendry kissed the back of her hand again.

"The worst part is... it's leaving you." She began to cry. "Because I love you and I'm sorry for putting you through all this and looking this ugly after all the crappy chemo and-"

"Hey, shut up," Gendry linked fingers with her and tried to grin through his own tears. "Since when are you ugly?"

Arya rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, "Yeah, I'm a total baba. Being a pile of bones with no hair is so hot."

Gendry just stroked her face. "Not hot, no. But beautiful. You're the most amazing girl I've ever met or will meet. And I love you. I love how stubborn you are. I love how you use half a carton of milk in just one mug of tea. I love how you're strong and independant, and that you didn't even need me that much to begin with. I love you and I love everyone second I've ever spent with you. I just hate how you have to leave me so soon. But I'll remember you forever because, seriously, how could anyone ever forget Arya Stark?" He studied her face and leaned in, gently kissing her lips. He stood up to leave, to call the family in, but Arya didn't let go of him. He looked down at her.

"Please. Don't go," she whispered.

He smiled and sat back down again. "Sure thing, m'lady." He ran his hand along her cheek again. "I'll stay right here until you want me to go. If you say the word, I'll never leave your side."

Arya nodded and closed her eyes, and two last tears left her eyelashes. She wasn't aware that her family were outside the door, wondering whether they should come in or not. She wasn't aware of the machines beeping. She wasn't aware of anything but Gendry's voice.

He told her the story of how they met one night in a coffee shop, when the snow was thick and the air cold, and how he offered to walk her home. He spoke of the time about how he bought her the turtle for her 16th birthday, which she named Sonic (Ironically, of course). He reminded her of the times they spent some nights sneaking out to concerts and how they spent other nights at home, watching crappy action movies. He reminisced about all the good times they had, and avoided the bad times.

When it was two in the morning, and the Starks were asleep on the chairs outside the room, Gendry noticed Arya's breath starting to slow.

"I think I'm going," she said, her eyes wide with terror.

"No, you're not," Gendry said, trying to to cry. "You're just going to take a short sleep and when you wake up, I'll be here."

"Pinky promise?" Arya raised her hand, her smallest finger sticking out from the rest Gendry laughed and wrapped his around hers.

"I pinky promise." He smiled down at her and kissed her quickly beofre pulling away. "No need to be scared."

"Me? Scared?" Arya tried to chuckle but her eyes just dropped and she wheezed. Her closed her eyes and her breathing slowed.

"Don't... leave... me..." she murmed, her grip on Gendry's hand loosening. He shook his head and he started to tear up.

"I won't, I promise. I'll be here 'til the end."

After a minute or so, her breathing stopped. The heart monitor hummed a one note streak and Gendry was left, alone in the room with the body of the girl he loved so dearly, crying to himself.

"I love you," he repeated, over and over. "I love you, Arya Stark. I love you."


End file.
